State women plan strip-mining protest on holiday

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia women angry over the failure to stop mountaintop removal coal mining are hoping for a big turnout for their Memorial Day protest at the state Capitol.

The event is set to start at noon Monday.

Whitesville resident Marilynn Mullens plans to shave her hair off in what she calls a silent tribute to the 500 sheared-off Appalachian mountains and 1 million acres of forest that have been destroyed. She hopes others will join her.

Mullens says activists have gotten nowhere, despite working through state and federal government channels.